Today is a beautiful day.
Now I don’t know if it is a beautiful day where you are, it could be a bit overcast for instance. But let’s assume, actually let’s do more than assume let’s decide that today is a beautiful day.
Sometimes you just have to adopt a mindset and go with it, for example One News this week….
One News handily pointed out earlier in the week that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations were going to be a failure. No FTA would equal a failure, an FTA wouldn’t go far enough, and would also be a failure.
So that was convenient, before there was any actual news on the matter One News, the public broadcaster, had already managed expectations so we could understand FTA = bad, no FTA = bad, Jacinda = failure. It isn’t very subtle guys.
Imagine the disappointment in their editorial department that many people actually think the resulting FTA signed is a bloody great step forwards. It must be damned inconvenient seeing people making up their own minds.
OK so that was a bad example, they didn’t decide it was going to be a good day or that given they’re the News they should at least find some evidence for what sort of day it is. But no, they were willing to make up their minds - today is a bad day as will be Saturday next week, and probably the following Wednesday – oh and all the days in between. Guaranteed more accurate than a long range weather forecast.
If you want happy news it is at the end of the bulletin after the weather and generally involves someone who volunteers a lot of their time to help others, which we can all agree is positive, even if in general terms we still assume the sky is otherwise falling - particularly if there is any link to the government, no matter how tenuous.
But you can decide to be positive, just look at the mayor of Queenstown. You might remember some of his greatest hits during Covid, the heartfelt “Why do we have no international tourists during a Pandemic?” or who could forget “We priced rent out of the reach of workers and now we can’t get any - why is the Prime Minister letting us down so badly?”
But now he has put down that songbook and look at him - Aussies arriving in record numbers to Queenstown, lots of happy business people, even the mayor himself was smiling and not complaining, which is a huge departure for him. Rather he was talking about having the best ski season they’ve ever had – Yay!
This week the UK reiterated their ban on MPs taking their babies to parliament. We can thank Trevor Mallard for welcoming babies in the house here, to remove barriers that could otherwise make it difficult for some people to be an MP. Good on ya Trev, another positive thing you did for us – guess it’s not fashionable to say that these days.
Researchers found Humpback Whales learning songs from each other around the world, a level of transmission of information not seen before in a non-human species. Isn’t that extraordinary - these beautiful giants teaching other groups their haunting songs, what a thing to learn!
I wonder what the whales are saying, perhaps something along the lines of “why won’t these buggers just cheer up a bit, most things are good, c’mon look at the size of us and they are at the top of the food chain. All their moaning, one little thing isn’t perfect and it’s why has the Prime Minister failed the nation so utterly. Wailing they are when they should be having a whale of a time, get it get it, oh forget it - now I’ve gotten the hump”
Or something like that I expect.
Imagine all the positive things we could appreciate if we did decide it was a beautiful day, or at least not predetermine that it was going to be as desirable as the contents of the laundry bag of the last few protesters from parliament, finally evicted from Māhanga Bay this week – another good thing.
What were they still protesting against - basic levels of hygiene? They certainly were not protesting for land rights when they arrived having retreated from Parliament. They made me think of the Japanese soldier still hiding in a pacific jungle decades after the war because no one told him it was over.
Anyway, more positive things…
The government launched the Ministry for disabled people – not before time. Yay progress.
There are sold out sporting events for both the All Blacks and the Warriors here in Tamaki Makaurau this weekend, which will no doubt invigorate the local economy and fans. Biggest crowds we have seen for years, even pre-Covid.
House prices are beginning to drop – I hope they drop to a point where people can actually afford them as homes, and not as an entry to a pyramid scheme dependent on constant price growth and new money.
During the PM’s European trip it was announced that they would be extending the working holiday visa conditions with Britain, increasing the age limit from 30 to 35 and extending the duration from two years to three, and increasing the number of people who can take part in the Spanish one from 300 to 3,000.
She traveled on the Eurostar overnight to reach London, meeting many international fans – many in disbelief that the prime minister of New Zealand was simply wandering around the train carriages.
These are good things, positive things, we ought to count our blessings, keep an open mind, and enjoy this beautiful day.
I’m not suggesting we look through rose tinted glasses, pretend everything is great and the government can do not wrong. They have plenty of big ticket items that have not been addressed but let’s judge individual things on their merit not just assume it is all terrible all the time.
Despite the bitter efforts of those with poison pens decrying her supposed domestic lack of popularity our Prime Minister is still a rock star.
Not a rock star like the Key/English economy supposedly was, a washed up junkie desperate for the injection of foreign funds even if it means we don’t own the properties in our country any more, but one firing on all cylinders unleashing hit after hit to rapturous reception.
The haters back home are like the idiots who said “yeah I never liked the Beatles, overrated”. Imagine giving those people coverage other than to mock them.
Imagine the headlines - Beatles popular on US tour but Britain has lost interest and eyes up Gibby and the Place Makers instead. Didn’t happen.
On this beautiful day as we appreciate all we have, it does leave one less than positive question though. Why is our state broadcaster, our public news service, taking an editorial stance that would make even Mike Hosking and NZME cringe with embarrassment for being so negative about everything the government does?
Come on guys take a look around you, it is a beautiful day, there are a lot of positive stories to tell.
Here is a song that has been putting a smile on my face, enjoy the beautiful day all of you lovely people.
I feel like things are going forward and well here but if you read mainstream media , you wouldn’t think it . Great read Thank you .
Not a cloud in the sky, people are happy everywhere, over the last month, I’ve seen happy faces strolling the waterfront & shopping at The Mount & Newmarket, happy kiwis eating out & exercising in Rotorua, just avoid Newstalk ZB, Hoskings & their clouds of doom 😊